Apparatus for positioning parts



2 Shets-Sheet 1 E. W. LARSEN APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING PARTS Filed Jan. 9, 1943 I I v H Dec. 11, 1945.

' lNVENTO/i 5. WLA/PSf/V 87 44. 5 a g ATTORIWFY Dec. 11, 1945.

E. W. LARSEN 2,590,596

APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING PARTS Filed Jan. 9, 1943 2 Sheets$heet 2 1 wvmran E. W ZARSE/V PatentedDec. 11, 1945 APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING PARTS Einer W. Larsen, Elmhurst, Ill., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 9, 1943, Serial No. 471,907

11 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for positioning parts, and more particularly to apparatus for positioning parts to be welded in a hydrogen atmosphere.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple apparatus for quickly and efliciently positioning parts to be worked on.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, an apparatus is provided for properly positioning an article to be welded at two diametrically opposed spots inside a hydrogen bell. This apparatus comprises a hood or bell which may be moved up to permit the mounting of a plurality of articles on rotatable article supports which are, in turn, mounted on a rotatable table. After articles are mounted on the rotatable supports, the hood or bell may be lowered and a single manipulative device may be operated to rotate alternately the supports and table whereby all articles on the supports will be moved into association with a welding electrode, extending into the hood or bell, and separately rotated to present both sides of the article to the electrode.

A better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the following detailed description of one embodiment thereof when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is an elevational view, partially in section, of a hydrogen bell in which articles to be welded may be positioned for association with a welding electrode;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantialiy along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows, showing the arrangement of the art cle supports and table, and

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary horizontal sectional views taken substantially along the lines 33 and 4-4, respectively, of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows showing details of the mechanism for actuating the article supports and table.

In the drawings, where n like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, the apparatus is shown mounted on a base Hi, from hich three posts H-ll extend upwardly for slidably guiding a bell or hood designated generally by the numeral l2. The hood I2 is provided with projections l3 for guiding t on the posts I I. These projections are formed by extensions of the top of the hood in which there is provided an entrance port ll, through which hydrogen may be pumped into the hood. In addition to the entrance port ll, the top of the hell or hood is provided with a rod It by means of which the hood may be raised or lowered. In the drawings,

the hood is shown in its lowered position, where its lower end rests on a housing member l6 suitably mounted upon the base ll being fixed thereon by means of lugs 11. The front portion of the housing l6 has an apron-like U-shaped projection I8 extending upwardly from it to seal the front portion of the hood from an operator using the welding apparatus in the hood. The front face of the hood I2 has a heavy glass window I! formed of heavy plate glass and set in place between gaskets 20 and 2| a framework 22 being provided for pressing the gasket 2| against the window l9 and, in turn, pressing the gasket 20 against the inner face of the bell or hood, which is cut out as shown at 23 to form the window opening. The framework 22 for the window I9 is held in place by means of machine screws 24 threaded into the framework and extending through the bell around the window I 9.

The window l9 has an aperture 30 formed in it into which there is set a socket member 3 I, which is internally threaded to receive a cooperating socket member 32. The socket member 3| is provided with a shoulder 33, which bears against the inside of the window l9, and is threaded externally to receive a locking member 3|, whereby the socket member 3| may be retained in place in the window 9. The socket members 3| and 32 cooperate to position a ball 35 having an aperture 36 extending through it for receiving a shaft 31. The shaft 31 is normally held in the position shown by a compression spring 38, which tends to draw the shaft out of the hood. The outer end of the shaft has a flexible connection 39 attached to it for supplying electric current through the shaft to an electrode holder 40 carrying a welding electrode ll The holder 40 is fixed on the inner end of the shaft and electrodes ll may be attached to the holder 40 by any suitable clamping arrangement, for example, the locking screws 42. Any suitable packing material may be placed, as indicated at 43, for seal ng the joint between the ball 35 and the socket members 3| and 32. The central aperture formed through the two socket members is chamfered so that a relatively large amount of movement may be imparted to the electrode 4| by manipulating the shaft 3! from outside the bell [2.

The housing member ID is provided at its lower front face with an aperture 41, into whichthere is fitted a threaded extension 8 of a block 43. The threaded extension 48 terminates at a shoulder 50 and may be locked with respect to the front face of the housing member It by means of a lock nut 5L A central aperture 52 is formed in the threaded extension 48 for receiving a manually operable shaft 88 carrying at its outer extremity a knurled knob 84. Mounted on the inner end of the shaft 88 is a bevelled gear 88 and intermediate its ends the shaft has a hole 58 drilled through it into which a ball 81 is urged by a compression spring 58 positioned in an aperture 88 and held against the ball 81 by means of a set screw 88. Thus, when the knob 54 is manipulated, the operator may feel the resistance to rotation of the shaft 88 whenever the ball 81 is urged into the hole 58.

The block 48 is provided with two horizontally extending portions 8i and". the portion 82 resting on the base l8 and being fixed thereto by machine screws 88. The horizontally extending portion II of the block 48 has the shank 84 of a large sun gear 85 journalled in it and the shank 84 has a bevelled gear 88 keyed to it at 81 in position to mesh with the bevelled gear 58, whereby, when the knob 54 is rotated in either direction, motion will be imparted through the gears 55 and 58 to the sun gear 85. The shank 84 of the gear.

88 is provided with a central aperture 88. in which a shaft 88 is freely rotatable. The shaft 88 has fixed to its upper end a table 18 and Just below the table there is fixed to the shaft a ratchet II. The lower end of the shaft 88 rests in a thrust bearing I2 and just above the thrust bearing there is attached to the shaft a ratchet I8. The teeth of the ratchets II and 18 are oppositely d sposed for a purpose that will become apparent as the description progresses.

A pair of pawls 14-14 are pivoted at 15-15 on the horizontally extend ng portion 82 of the block 48 and are urged into engagement with the work supports are'in the present embodiment of the invention adapted to support a base member 88 from which extend a pair of leads 84 that are to be interconnected by a filament 85 welded to them at the point where the filament engages the leads.

It should be noted at this time that the table 18 is provided with a circumferentially extending apron or dustshield 88 and that the bottom of the hell or hood I2 is open and communicates with an aperture 81 formed in the housing member I8. Furthermore, it should be noted that the teeth of the ratchet 13 by leaf springs IS-18, as 8 shown most clearly in Fig. 4. Mounted on the upper surface of the sun gear 85 are a pair of pawls I1 pivotally mounted on studs 'I818 extending from the upper surface of the gear. The

pawls Tl are urged into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet II by means of leaf springs l8---'I8.

Due to the arrangement of the teeth of the pawls II and 18 in opposite directions, rotation of the shaft 53 in one direction w ll cause the pawls I1 to drive the ratchet II and when this occurs. the pawls I4 will ride over the teeth of the ratc et I3. When the shaft 53 is rotated in the opposite direct on. the pawls 11 will ride over the teeth of the ratchet II and the pawls I4 will en age the teeth of the ratchet 18 to prevent the shaft 88 from turning, and, consequently, the table I8 will not be turned at this time. The table I8 will. however, be rotated when the gear 85 is rotated counter-cl ckwise (Fig. 3) due to the action of the pawls IT on the ratchet I I.

The table I8 has six bearings 8585 eoually spaced about it for receiving six shafts 88-88. The shafts 88 have head portions 8'|-8| on their upper ends and have pinions 88 fixed to them at their lower ends. The pin ons 88 mesh with the sun gear 85 and when the table 18 is held stationary and the sun gear 85 is rotated clockwise, the gear 85 will drive all 'of the pinions 88 thereby to rotate the shafts 8-8 about their own axes. When the large gear 85 is rotated in a. clockwise direction. the tab e I8 will be prevented from turning with the gear 85 by the pawls I4 engaging the teeth of the ratchet I8 and thus the p nions 88 will be rotated about their own axes. The head rear of the housing is open so that any accidental explosions occurring within the bell I2 will flash through the aperture 81 and out through the open rearportion of the housing I8.

Mounted on an arm 88 extending outwardly and upwardl from theblock 48 is a brush assembly 88 bearing against and conductively connecting the table 18 with the source-of welding current (not shown) through a lead I88. In order to provide a good electrical connection between the table 18 and article supports 88, brush assemblies I8| are mounted on the table and urged to engage the work supports in any suitable manner. The brush assemblies. I8I are connected to the table 18 by means of leads I82.

A better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the following brief description of the mode of operat on thereof. After a series of articles including the basemember 88, the ,leads 94, and filaments 85, have been placed on the work supports 88, the hood I2 being held in its upper position by means of the rod l5 during the loading of the apparatus, the hood I2 may be lowered to the position shown and hydrogen pumped into the bell through the entrance port I4. As soon as enough hydrogen has been Pumped into the bell I2 to drive the air out of 40 the bell, welding operations may be performed for forming the are being supplied through the portions 81 of the shafts 88 carry work supports leads 39 and I88. As soon as the first welding operat on has been completed, the operator may rotate the knob 54 in a direction to drive the gear 85 in a clockwise direction. When the gear 85 is rotated in a clockwise direction, the pawls I4 engaging the ratchet 18 will prevent the shaft 88 from turning and, consequently, the table 18 will remain motionless while the gear 85 rotates clockw se to drive the pinions 88 and cause the shafts 88 to rotate counterclockwise on their own axes.

The gear ratio between the gears 55 and 88 is such that one half rotation of the knob 54 will, through the gear 85 and pinions 88, cause the work support 88 to be rotated through one-half revolution, thus to bring the second lead 84 on the work support 88 into association with the welding electrode 4| and the operator may feel the increased resistance to rotation of the knob 54 by the ball 51 entering the hole 58 in theshaft 58 and will thus know that the work support is now properly positioned to have the second lead mounted thereon welded to the filament 85. As soon as the welding of the second lead to the filament is completed, the operator may rotate the knob 54 in the opposite direction, thereby to drive the gear 85 in a counterclockwise direction. When the gear 85 is driven in a counterclockwise direction, the pawls l1 will drive the ratchet H counterclockwise thereby to rotate the table in a counterclockwise direction carrying all of the shafts 86 and the mechanism mounted on them around the axis of the shaft 69. One-half turn of the knob 54 will cause the next work support 90 mounted on the table 10 to be moved into association with the electrode 4| and the welding of the filament on the work support 90 in association with the electrode may proceed. It should be noted that the operator in manipulating the work supports and table, utilizes a single knob and that rotation of the knob 54 in opposite directions will alternately cause the table to rotate and the work supports to rotate.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for supporting articles to be worked on comprising a rotatable table, article supports rotatable with respect to said table, and common drive means for said table and supports comprising a manually rotatable shaft, a gear driven from said shaft and having pawls thereon, a ratchet associated with the, gear to be driven by the pawls thereon when the shaft is rotated in one direction, said table being fixed to said ratchet for movement therewith, a plurality of shafts journalled in said table, one of said article supports being mounted on each of said shafts, means for preventing movement of the table when said shaft is rotated in the opposite direction, and gears fixed to each of said plurality of shafts and in mesh with the pawl carrying gear for driving the article supports when said shaft is rotated in said opposite direction.

2. An apparatus for supporting articles to be worked on comprising a rotatable table, article supports rotatable with respect to said table, and a common drive means for said table and supports comprising a manually rotatable shaft, a gear driven from said shaft and having pawls thereon, a ratchet associated with the gear to be driven by the pawls thereon when the manually rotatable shaft is rotated in one direction, said table being fixed to said ratchet for movement therewith, a plurality of shafts journalled in said table, one of said article supports being mounted on each of said shafts, a shaft for supporting said table, a ratchet fixed to said tablesupporting shaft, pawls for preventing said tablesupporting shaft from rotating when the manually rotatable shaft is rotated in the opposite direction, and gears on the work support shafts meshing with the pawl supporting gear for rotating the work support shafts when said manually rotatable shaft is rotated in said opposite direction.

3. In an apparatus for supporting articles to be worked on, a pawl supporting gear, a plurality of gears surrounding and meshing with the pawlsupporting gear to be driven thereby, a rotatable table, a ratchet fixed to said table for driving it, a pawl on said pawl-supporting gear for driving the ratchet when the pawl-supporting gear rotates in one direction, work supports rotatably mounted on said table and fixed to the gears urrounding the pawl-supporting gear to be driven by said pawl-supporting gear when the pawl-supporting gear rotates in the opposite direction, and means for preventing rotation of the table when the pawl supporting gear rotates in said opposite direction.

4. In an apparatus for supporting articles to be worked on, a rotatable table, work supports rotatably mounted on said table, a main driving gear, means for rotating the main driving gear in opposite directions, means interconnecting the table and main driving gear and operative to drive the table when the main driving gear is rotated in one direction, and means interconnecting the main driving gear and work supports including means for holding the table stationary, and means operative to rotate the work supports about their own axes when the main driving gear is rotated in the opposite direction.

5. In an apparatus for supporting articles to be worked on, a rotatable table, work supports rotatably mounted on said table, a gear, means for rotating the gear in opposite directions, means interconnecting the table and gear and operative to rotate the table when the gear is rotated in one direction comprising a ratchet fixed to said table and pawls mounted on the gear, and means interconnecting the gear and work supports and operative to rotate the work supports when the gear is rotated in the opposite direction.

6. In an apparatus for supporting articles to be worked on, a rotatable table, work supports rotatably mounted on said table, a main gear, means for rotating the main gear in opposite directions, means interconnecting the table and main gear and operative to rotate the table when the main gear is rotated in one direction comprising a ratchet fixed to said table and pawls mounted on the main gear, and means interconnecting the main gear and work supports and operative to rotate the work supports when the main gear is rotated in the opposite direction comprising gears meshing with the main gear, and shafts fixed to the work supports for supporting the gears in mesh with the main gear.

7. In an apparatus for supporting articles to be worked on, a rotatable table, a shaft for supporting said table, pawl and ratchet means associated with said shaft for preventing said table from rotating in one direction, a main gear freely rotatable about said shaft, pawls mounted on said main gear, a ratchet fixed to said table for engagement by the pawls on the main gear for driving said table in a direction opposite to said one direction upon rotation of the main gear in said opposite direction, work supports rotatably mounted on said table, shafts for driving said work supports, and gears on said work support driving shafts in mesh with the main gear for rotating the work support driving shafts on their own axes upon rotation of the main gear in said one direction.

8. In an apparatus for supporting articles to be worked on, a rotatable table, a shaft for supporting said table, pawl and ratchet means associated with said shaft for preventing said table from rotating in one direction, a main gear freely rotatable about said shaft, pawls mounted on said main gear, a ratchet fixed to said table for engagement by the pawl on the main gear for driving said table in a direction opposite to said one direction upon rotation of the main gear in said opposite direction, work supports rotatably mounted on said table, shafts for driving said work supports, gears on said work support driv ing shafts in mesh with the main gear for rotating the work support driving shafts on their own axes upon rotation of the main gear in said one direction, and an actuating shaft manually rotatable in opposite directions to drive said main gear.

9. An apparatus for supportingparts to be worked on comprising a plurality of rotatable work supports for presenting a plurality of portions or an article to a work position, a supporting table for supporting the work supports,

means for rotating the work supports about their individual axes, means for rotating the table to carry the work supports about a common axis, and a common manipulative means for imparting rotation to the supports and the table including a pawl and ratchet mechanism for preventing rotation of the table in one direction.

10. An apparatus for supporting parts to be worked on comprising a plurality of rotatable work supports for presenting a plurality of portions of an article to a work position, a supporting table for supporting the work supports, means for rotating the work supports about their individual axes, means for rotating thetable to carry the work supports about a common axis, and a common manipulative means for imparting rotation to the supports and the table including a pawl and ratchet mechanism for preventing rotation of the table in one direction a,soo,soo

and a second pawl and ratchet mechanism for driving the table. I

11. An apparatus for supporting articles to be worked upon comprising a rotatable table,

a rotatable shaft to which said table is rigidly secured, a plurality of work supports, a plurality oi shafts rotatably Journalled in said ,table, one for each of said work supports, a main gear rotatably mounted on said table shaft, a gear meshing with said main gear rigidly secured to each of said work support shafts, a reversible driving member, unidirectional drive means responsive to the actuation of said reversible driving member in one direction to interlock said main gear and said table to rotate said table and work supports as a unit, and means responsive to'the actuation of said reversible member in the opposite direction for locking said table against rotation and driving said main gearto rotate said work supports and their respective shafts.

EINER W. LARSEN. 

